The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-04-14
BRITISH GOSSIP.
A Budget OF Interesting News From
am Occasional Contributor.

| Parliament was opened on January 18th
| by the Lords High Commissioners ap-
! pointed for the purpose by the queen. Inc
| Queens speech did not contain any very
debateable matter; nevertheless, since the
| opening of Parliament the debate on the
| address, in reply to the speech from the
! Throne, which is in reality vote OF con-
fdence in the Government of the day, has
been dragging on its apparently lntermln-
able length Numerous amendments, OF
more or less importance, have been laid
| down for discussion. The principal or
them. proposed by Mr.. Parnell, in relation
| TO Ireland, was defeated by the UnionistS
by majority of 1O6. At length, after six
teen days of continuous debate, the Speak
er arose and stated that in his opinion the
questions at issue had been sufficiently de-
bated, and that the feeling of the House
was evidently in favor of ending the dis
cussion. Thus, by an application of the
cIoture, the debate was closed amidst
scene of great excitement on the part of
the Irish obstructionists, who, by talking
against time, boosted that they would
make legislation impossible unless their
demands were conceded. The House
adopted the address by the enormous ma
jOrity of 240. The consequence of this
great waste of public time has been the
delay of measures necessary for the good
government of Ireland, which country
still remains in most unsatisfactory con-
dition The plan OF campaign, described
in my letter of December last is still in
full operation, and, up to the present
time, the Government have found the
legal means at hand insufficient to cope
with the conspiracy for the nOn-payment
of rent.
Soon after the opening Of Parliament
Lord Randolph Churchill made his prom
ised explanation of the causes which led
to his sudden retirement from Lord Sails
bury's Government The reasons which
he gave were the apparent unwillingness
of the heads of the Admiralty and War
Office to reduce the estimates for the year.
He said that being pledged to a policy of
economy in public expenditure, he was I'M
able to give his assent to proposals that
failed in any one item to reduce the ma
tional expenditure. His explanation was
deemed most unsatisfactory by the Eng
fish Press, with but few exceptions, and
seat in the Cabinet if a reduction of even
half million pounds sterling had been
made, has not only brought much ridicule
on him, but has not failed to leave pre-
judicial effect on his future career, mas
much as his sincerely is questioned when
the small sum of $500, 600 in a budget of
1900 600 caused him to imperiI the posi-
ton OF the Unionist Cabinet at a critical
juncture in both home and foreign poll
tics.
Lord Dunraven, Under Secretary of
State for the Colonies, has this week fol-
lowed Lord Randolph Churchill's exam
pie, and resigned for the same reasons.
Society in London is still very quiet
Most of the leaders of fashion are at Nice
or Cannes, away from the bitterly cold
winds prevalent at this time of year in
England. Exceptions to the rule are the
Duke and Duchess of Bedford, who gave a
small party on Saturday evening. Most of
the political world which is forced to re-
main in town, owing to parliamentary
duties, and a few of the corps diplo-
matique, including the French Ambassa-
dor, the Austrian and Italian Ambassa-
doris, and Counts d'Aubigny and Florian,
Secretaries at the French Embassy, were
amongst the guests.
The French Ambassador and Nine.
Waddington have issued invitations for
Sunday evening receptions from 10 till u
O'Clock. Amongst the guests last week
were Lord Granville. Prince Malcolm
Khan, the Persian Minister; NJ. de Bou-
teneff, the Russian Charge -d'Affaires,
Count and Countess Gleichen, the Bel
gian Minister, and the Baroness SolOyns,
etc.
The Prince of Wales is at Cannes, but
will return for the first levee of the season
on March 1st. The Princess of Wales and
her daughters are with the Queen at Os-
borne, in the Isle of Wight. They return
TO London for the drawing rooms, which
the Queen will hold on March Sd and 18th.
The Queen has promised to visit Birm-
ingham on March 23d to lay the founda-
ton stone of the new law courts, and
preparations for great state reception are
in active progress
The first week in April Her Majesty and
the Court go abroad for month, villa
having been taken at Mentone for the
Queens use.
At Osborne last week, the Queen COM
manded a theatrical performance. Mr..
and Mrs. Kendall of the St. James Theatre /
appeared before Her Majesty in MY |
Uncle's WILL and another comedy. Ru- |
NOR says that two other performances are
to take place at Windsor Castle during |
May, and that the Queen is anxious to see
Irving in Faust" and will command /
private representation at the Lyceum
Theater.
A series of articles appearing in the
'Fortnightly Review, said to have been
written by Sir Charles Dixie, has attracted
much attention in England and on the
Continent. The first appeared on the LIST
January, and treated of Germany. and
the second on the 1st February, treated of
France The writer describes the relative
positions of these two great Powers with
mastery that only thorough knowledge
OF these countries could command. Facts
only are given and no controversial matter
is introduced into the articles. The de-
of Germany is particularly strik-
ing. The character of the army, the in